Sugar-free Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding

Spicy, creamy, and luxurious, this sugar-free Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding turns your favorite winter beverage into the perfect chilled dessert. Low carb and keto-friendly, this rich pudding will be a fast family favorite. Don’t be put off by making homemade pudding; an elegant dessert, this is easily mastered by the novice home cook.

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Best Chocolate Pudding Recipe - Low Carb, Keto, LCHF, Grain-free, Gluten-free, Sugar-free

As a child, I absolutely loved JELL-O pudding cups. Opening my lunch bag to discover one inside was a true source of joy for me. For whatever reason, pudding has been high on my list of favorite desserts for as long as I can remember; but, it wasn’t until I tried making my own pudding that I realized my absolute obsession with this dessert.

Making your own pudding sounds daunting and scary, I know. I put it off for ages chiefly because buying it at the store was just easier..or so I thought. The problem with pudding is that what you purchase at the store is just bad news. The ingredient list is too long with scary things I cannot pronounce. Nothing should have that kind of shelf-life, either. It’s akin to the Twinkie:  store-bought pudding could likely survive a nuclear blast.

But once you make your own, you’ll never go back. The process is actually much easier than you might think and the end result is a rich, creamy treat that will never compare to what you had as a child.

This version adds in the flavors of a Mexican Hot Chocolate to capture those classic winter flavors. Cinnamon and chili remind me of Christmas, so this is the perfect after dinner dessert to celebrate the holidays. This sugar-free, low carb pudding is easily made ahead of time and can keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to top with a dollop of whipped cream and serve. 

How to make Low Carb Chocolate Pudding

Hot Chocolate Pudding Ingredients

• Unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
• Heavy cream
• Powdered erythritol
• Arrowroot starch
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Cinnamon
• Ancho chili powder
• Cayenne
• Sea salt
• Eggs
• Sugar-free dark chocolate
• Pure vanilla extract
• Butter

Some tips, tricks, and take-aways about the Sugar-free Keto Chocolate Pudding recipe and process:

Keep an eye on your temperatures for this recipe, and be ready to move fast at the end of the cooking process. After scalding your milk/creme mixture, you’ll be adding it to the erythritol egg mixture. It’s important that you don’t add boiling liquid to this egg mixture, otherwise you’ll have scrambled eggs instead of silky pudding. Once the milk starts to foam, remove it from the heat and let the mixture cool for a minute or two.

Whisk the cream mixture into your egg, pouring it in a slow, steady stream. You’ll be returning the combined liquid to the pan and cook on a low heat, whisking continuously. Once the first bubble pops, put some elbow grease into your whisking. You’ll only need about 2 minutes more at this point; the pudding will start to thicken up fairly quickly.

Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer, avoid scraping up any curdled bits or solids. Your pudding will already be thicker, so you’ll likely have to use the back of a spoon to push the mixture through the strainer. Once all the pudding has passed through, stir in your melted chocolate and butter. Pour into individual ramekins before chilling. 

Pudding skin or no pudding skin? This recipe will create a thin skin on the pudding after cooling. Some people absolutely cannot stand that; my husband is one of those people. My son and I are not discerning enough to be bothered by it. If you can’t live with it, there is a work around:  cling wrap. Place a small square over the top of your pudding before putting it into the refrigerator. After chilling, you can gently remove it. This will help to reduce the formation of that weird skin.

What can I top my chocolate pudding with? Personally, I love a dollop of vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I love using a small mug instead of a ramekin so I can have the most authentic looking “hot chocolate”. But feel free to get creative here! You could easily add some crunch to this recipe by topping with cocoa nibs, shredded coconut, or even chopped toasted hazelnuts.

How to make homemade sugar-free vanilla whipped cream

Pour ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream into a blender carafe. Add powdered erythritol to desired level of sweetness; I normally use about 2-3 teaspoons. Add a ½ tsp of pure vanilla extract. Blend until a thick cream forms and spoon on top of your pudding.

Other Low Carb Sugar-free Dessert Recipes

• Citrus Almond Ricotta Cake
• Low Carb Raspberry Clafoutis
• Salted Caramel Millionaire Shortbread Bars
• No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
• Tiramisu Cheesecake

Yield: 6

Sugar-free Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Spicy, creamy, and luxurious, this sugar-free Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding turns your favorite winter beverage into the perfect chilled dessert.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered erythritol
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• pinch sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Heat coconut milk and heavy cream in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat; scald, do not boil. While milk is heating, whisk sugar, arrowroot, cocoa, spices, and salt together in a large heatproof bowl with a stable base. Remove the milk from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
2. Whisk the egg and yolks into the sugar mixture, stiring constantly. Slowly drizzle the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking nonstop to combine. When you have adding about 1/3 of the milk, you can pour in a steady stream and whisk more quickly. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan after full incorporated. Return to a low heat, and whisk non-stop, cooking the mixture until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Do not allow to boil. When you have reached the consistency of a loose custard, stop remove from heat.
3. Set a fine mesh strainer over the large mixing bowl and push the pudding through, leaving any solids behind. Whisk in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and butter until totally incorporated.
4. Spoon/pour into six small ramekins or cups. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours. Top as desired and enjoy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 53mgCarbohydrates: 5gNet Carbohydrates: 2gFiber: 3gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and calculated to the best of my ability using online databases. It is suggested that you perform your own check to ensure that a recipe fits within the scope of your dietary needs.

Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and make sure to join the @noshinandnumnums community on instagram or facebook and tag me in your cooking pictures! 

Want more recipes? Join my mailing list or subscribe by RSS to keep up with new posts. You can also find me and my collection on Pinterest.

Noshin' & Num Nums is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.